I had high hopes for this book and was disappointed. This book was anticlimactic and looks like a copyright infringement from disney waiting to happen.

This is a beautifully written book about Nellie Duncan, a young woman who became a witch. The story follows Nellie's centuries-long fight against patriarchy and misogyny. Along the way, she finds love and family, and it all builds to a moving finale that shows how far we've come since the witch hunting days.
There are so many metaphors and parallels between the stories in the book and real life that will resonate with many women who have faced similar frustrations.

Thompson handles several topics well in her novel. The explicit focus on feminism and misogyny in the first half of the book ties nicely with how misogyny and anti-Queer sentiment is handled in the second half of the book. The idea of showcasing two different forms of witch hunts and how they both affected/continue to affect women and other vulnerable populations was a good, strong motif.

However, as mentioned above, the first and second halves of the book are very different. The first half of the book, set in the late 1800s, was full of fear, tension, and Gothic atmosphere. The witches’ powers and their supernatural adversary, in the form of a government official, were used effectively and moved the plot along well. The jump to the second half of the book was, in my opinion, less successful. Characters change 200 years later, which is to be expected, but there’s no transition, just a sharp shift. Likewise, I didn’t think the terror and danger of the contemporary – and very real – threat was communicated as effectively as the historical portion.

An excellent read, especially if you know and love Edinburgh. It highlights womens struggles and their strengths. Historically set but still has resonance today.

This story had a ton of promise but ultimately fell flat. But I am still glad I read it and learn a bit of history surrounding Edinburgh and women murdered for supposed witchcraft.

Thompson's stunning prose takes us through the experience of women in 19th century Edinburgh, being accused of witchcraft and hung publicly in the town square, to the experience of women in the 21st century, showing how the patriarchy lives on to find new ways to keep women silent in the face of oppressive systems.

This story is a beautiful ode to women and a love letter to Scotland. It showcases our ability to create community with other women, protect and fight for each other, empathize with each other's experiences, and ultimately band together against a society that tells us we don't belong.

This book speaks on feminism, the importance of intersectionality, disability representation, sexuality and gender expression, and the patriarchal systems we all suffer beneath. The women in this story are strong, resilient, magical, and powerful, and they all have a voice and a story to tell.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘒𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘵𝘰𝘯 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

I absolutely loved this book.
Marielle Thompson effortlessly blended witchcraft with Scottish folklore and turned into a powerful feminist reckoning with more queer representation than I’ve read in any other book. This book was eloquent and unforgettable. I highlighted so many passages, I can’t wait to get my hand on a physical copy so I can annotate it.

I loved that the message of this story was less about witchcraft and more about the power of the masses. A true masterpiece and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Meh.

This is not a groundbreaking story, which is fine, there are so many variations on any story and I am fine with reading a new take on an old tale, but when your heroine is given immortality and she never grows, never develops, and is instead stunted in the same emotional place she was at the beginning of the book, I wonder what the point of it all was.

I think there is talent in the author's writing, but this was not an interesting read.

I will always be excited for a book that includes witches, feminism, and intersectionality. However, take warning fellow readers that this is not a bright and bubbly story. If you're looking for a cozy fantasy book, this will not be it and that it took me a little longer than most to get through. Now, I have had some life transitions going on, but I also wonder if it had to do with the heaviness of the subject matter and how closely it aligned with our world right now.

From the very start of 'The Last Witch in Edinburgh,' readers are immediately swept up into this harrowing story taking place at the height of witch trials in early 1820s Edinburgh. It's neighbor versus neighbor; finger-pointing that turn misunderstandings into false accusations which unfairly target the women of the city. This is a story of survival against the patriarchy, but also of the battle between two deities and the humans caught in the middle.

I appreciated the slow burn at the beginning and the dedication to the folklore of the Celtic pantheon. However, as we moved through the years, I felt the story felt a little rushed. Not so much so that there wasn't resolution, but enough where we didn't get to see some of the main character's evolution. I had also hoped that we would meet the other deity at some point, as I felt that would help balance out so much of the negativity and give some hope to the characters. All in all, though, I thought this was a great witchy and intersectional book to add to my shelves and I just wish some of those tea recipes were available in the appendices.

Thank you to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I cannot express how excited I was to receive an ARC copy of this book - I had been seeing folks talk about it as a highly anticipated book of 2024 and I was already sold on the title and the cover before even reading the summary.

This story felt like it was written in cursive- beautiful and flowing. For such a potentially heavy topic, I feel like Marielle Thompson did a great job at keeping me connected to the characters and invested in the story.

I appreciated how feminine rage and grief were portrayed throughout the story and how it was intertwined with the rich Scottish folklore. I also was obsessed with the love story and how it developed over the course of the book. Not to mention, we see Nellie develop as a woman, and as a witch, and I liked how it progressed in a way that made sense. There was never a moment that made me feel like what she was doing was so out of character.

I loved this book and think you should give it a try if you’re interested in historical fiction, folklore, witches, romance, and/or magical realism. This book is scheduled to be published on August 19, 2024.

Thank you to the author, Marielle Thompson, Kensington Publishing, and NetGalley for providing this ARC to me in exchange for an honest review.

Overall Rating | 4.5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Marielle Thompson for an ARC of this title!

I will pretty much immediately slam the "Want to Read" button on anything that has to do with witchcraft and I was so glad to get the ARC for this title! "The Last Witch in Edinburg", while being a tale of witchcraft at its core, is also ultimately a tale of what it means to be a witch in a patriarchal world, whether that world was in the 1820s or in 2024. I think that this would be an excellent read for anyone who has ever felt fear, rage, or despair in the face of injustice related to one's assigned sex at birth.

What I think this book also does well is that it does not use the practice of witchcraft to pen a "men vs women" argument; it rightly points out throughout time and space that being a "witch" and being "patriarchal" is not the same thing as only being a "woman" or "man". I have definitely been guilty of being cold towards men as a principle due to getting caught up in the idea of "patriarchy" = "men", and this book was a great reminder that systems that tear down freedom, community, personal safety, and equality among people are often also enforced and celebrated by women. Conversely, the opposite is true: the things that I love about feminism and witchcraft are open to all genders and expressions who work to upkeep them.

Overall, this is not a happy story for the vast majority of the book - it can be very depressing in certain parts and I think that is part of the author's intention, as she leans into future dread/suspense with the way the story was set up. I struggled to get through the middle to early latter half of the book because the struggles faced by the main characters felt too akin to things that the women of 2024 are also facing. However (without getting to spoiler-y), it was worth reading to the end to see how the community we build for ourselves and how bravery int he face of despair are as important in stories as they are for us in the real world. I hope this book finds its way to those who need the message.

I would absolutely recommend this book, and I appreciate that the author included a number of books she used in her own research for those interested in learning more about the history of witches, witch trials, and more. I also appreciated that she made comments about how she applied the folklore of the Cailleach for her specific story, and how the legend may present differently elsewhere. There are also discussion questions at the end of the book, so this would be an excellent pick for the book clubs who want to have a #HagGirlSummer.

I enjoyed reading this book. The beginning was a little slow but it picked up and kept me entertained. It is a book for everyone. It makes you realize not much has changed in the world since the 1800s. A very interesting plot line.
Many thanks to Netgalley, and Kensington for the chance to read and review this one.

2.5/5

The moral of the story was heartwarming, but the writing and plot weren't for me. Sad because it had a lot of potential to be more impactful for me but it felt a little too forced and the timeline jumps were strange for me.

This book originally caught my eye because of its cool sounding title, but let me tell you, it has truly surpassed all expectations!

This book shows a young women struggling to survive in a patriarchal society hell-bent on demonizing women. But although they are hanging witches - women - left right and center, she still finds her own power. Through working together with other women, and even finding love among them, she learns what more life can be.

This truly emotional story shows such an amazing character growth. But it also shows the hardships of being a women and how certain patterns stay the same, even if society evolves.

And let me tell you; This is historical fiction, a fantasy story, but the author has done a tremendous job weaving in all the real life experiences of women in THIS world into her fictional one. This book, these characters have truly broken my heart while simultaneously putting it back together.

Now, I’m talking about the feminist part of this book because it’s the part that’s really touched me the most, but know that it’s also a really, really well written story filled with amazing characters, Scottish folklore and magic.

I could honestly go on for hours about how amazing this book is - and if you want me to, I will - but just know that this queer, witchy, magical, feminist book is all you need to read ever. Seriously, if you are a woman, or have ever even known a woman, you need to read this book!!! You will not regret it.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington for the arc in exchange for an honest review. The novel is a tale of fear, survival, and women’s rights. Set in 1892, we get a peak in the lives of women when all women are to be convinced as witches when there are only a few. The lore and the writing of this novel had me feeling all of the emotions. Many women were wrongly accused, even executed for being accused of witchcraft. A horrible challenging time for all women across the globe.

I have to say this one was scary. Not because of any spooky matter but simply because the fear that anyone woman in this version of 1824 Edinburgh could find herself labeled a witch and sentenced to death. I wouldn't classify this as historical fiction but more of dystopian but set in the past.

The Last Witch in Edinburgh captures the kinship and deep magic found between women as they endure centuries of misogyny and persecution—ultimately reclaiming their power against an insidious, persistent evil. Thompson’s witches are vulnerable and wise, bound together by love and survival. A book both timely and timeless. Read it for your daughters, your sisters, yourself.

“Nellie wasn’t sure she believed in witches, but she did believe in the power of a man’s anger. And was that not the same thing?”

This book has pieces that are so eerily similar to the real world, it makes you wonder if witches really do exist. But not the kind with warts, broomsticks and terrible magic, but the ones full of power from the earth, who heal, help and guide us through life’s seasons. Honestly, I have never been intrigued by stories of witch trials, but this story of how the patriarchy has evolved from hanging “witches” to silencing women in the 21st century through fear was captivating! Nellie’s story is about a girl who was wronged by her employer, forgotten by her drunk father and left to raise her brother during the peak of hanging witches for anything from being left handed to a man having a coughing fit after looking the wrong woman in the eyes. Not only does she finally find where she belongs in the world, she loses herself and finds her again.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I applied for this one in the hopes that I would find a really good story, and for the first half of the book I was pretty sure I had. The start of this book is fantastic and absolutely delivers on the brief. It is riveting, if not a little unrealistic in places, and I do wish there was a little bit more characterisation and fleshing out of some of the characters and the lore, but it is a good read.

Unfortunately, as we get further into the book, it loses a bit of the charm. Without spoiling anything, it gets very fast very quickly, and it doesn't feel like the story progressed properly from there. I thought it just could have done with a little more fleshing out in that last segment that would have bumped it up to an incredible read.

There were also a few missing pieces for me in the end section of the book, and I was hoping that some of the loose ends would be tied together a little more thoroughly. The protagonist as well had awesome growth to start, but then it petered off a bit and didn't develop her more with all the time that went on.

This book is a captivating journey into an alternate Edinburgh of 1824, where being named a witch sows the seed of fear in every woman. Nellie Duncan, a young unmarried woman, fears being called a witch and of the men and their numerous desires. She discovers solace within the walls of the Rae Women's Apothecary. After a tragedy strikes, Nellie is forced to leave Edinburgh. Years later, she must confront her past and deal with forces that could change her life and those she loves.

I loved this book. When I began reading this book, I had no idea it would make so many connections to the current climate of women's rights. It highlighted the struggle of women moving in a patriarchal society. Several quotes resonated with me; please understand I received an advanced copy, not the finished copy.

"A woman's body is never her own." It's dangerous enough to be a woman, let alone a witch."; "Nellie had never realized she was allowed to be anything but dutiful, fearful. She never realized she was allowed to be angry."

It examines the idea of society's constraints on female behavior and purpose. I found myself highlighting multiple passages and sitting with the words. Nellie's journey reminds us of the importance of standing up for oneself and others, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. The author put so much care and research into this narrative that it will create a compelling read for everyone.

I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Netgalley and Kensington Publishing.